A variety of devices have been developed for detachably securing two articles together. It is particularly desirable that articles of luggage and various accessories utilized, for example, on bicycles be removable. For example, a rider may desire to vary the accessories carried by the bicycle or omit them at certain times when they are not necessary and would only serve to add bulk to the bicycle frame. Similarly, the rider may wish to detach accessories, such as bags carrying valuables and expensive components such as odometers, and carry them with him or her when parking the bicycle.
The prior art has addressed the problem of detachably securing larger pieces of luggage such as saddle bags, to bicycle frames and similar structures by providing a hinge into which the luggage is placed. A locking piece is then swung down on the hinge into a position that locks the luggage onto the frame. Such a device is disclosed in German Patent No. DE-OS4003474.
This solution is desirable for supporting relatively heavy articles from the frame. However, this method of attachment is not convenient for attaching articles under the saddle. This attachment method is also too cumbersome and expensive for use with smaller articles such as tachometers, odometers, water bottles or small bags.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to overcome disadvantages of the prior art and to provide a clamping device that enables quick attachment and detachment of articles particularly in conjunction with a bicycle frame. Additionally, it is an object of this invention to provide a relatively versatile clamping device that can be utilized to clamp a variety of different articles together and that, preferably, enables clamping of articles together in a plurality of different orientations. This clamping device should also be relatively inexpensive to produce.